Coin-released apparatus for playing games of skill.



PATENTED JAN. 1'7, 1905.

' WOOLFE. 00m RELEASED APPARATUS FOR PLAYING GAMES 0F SKILL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17. 1902.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 780,466. v PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905.

v 'H. WOOLPE. 00m RELEASED APPARATUS EOE PLAYING GAMES 0E SKILL.

APPLIGA TION FILED DEC. 17, 1902.

3 SHBETSSHEET 2.

Wijasses PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905.

H. wooLPE. v 00m RELEASED APPARATUS FOR PLAYING GAMES 0F SKILL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17. 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented January 17, 1905.

PATENT OFF CE.

HENRY WOOLFE, OF SEACOMBEJE NGLAND.

COIN-RELEASED APPARATUS POR PLAYING GAMES OF SKILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent N o. 780,466, dated January 1'7, 1905. Application filed December 17,1902- Serial No. 135,482.

To alt whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY WOOLFE, machine-maker, a subject ofthe King of Great Britain, residingin Seacombe, in the county of Chester, England, (whose full postal address is 94 Brighton street, Seacombe aforesaid,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-ReleasedApparatus for Play-- ing Games of Skill, (for which application has been made in Great Britain, No. 25,737, dated November 22, 1902,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a coin-released apparatus for playing a game'of skill, such as a boxing or pugilistic match. There are a pair of pugilistic efiigies, and the game is played by two players, the winner who succeeds in hitting the other pugilist receiving back one, of the coins which are inserted preparatory to commencing the game, while the other falls into a lock-up box.

The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which' Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2, a cross-section on a vertical plane; Fig. 3, an enlarged rear elevation of the front plate of the apparatus that carries the coin-slots, the coin-tipper, and the device for partly closing the coin-slots; Fig. 4, avertical cross-section onthe line 00 w of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a front view, partly in section, of a part of the apparatus with front plate removed; Fig. 6, a sectional plan view on line y y of Figr2 with certain parts removed;- Fig. 7, an enlarged view of the mechanical fighting-effigies, showing the method of operating the same; Fig. 8, a rear view of one of the mechanical figures; Fig. 9, a detail view of the locking device; Fig. 10, a perspective view of the yoke, the arm (with wings) con trolled thereby, and the money-chutes.

In the drawings, A is the casing of the apparatus, the front portion of which is removable when unlocked by a key A and provided with a window a, so that the mechanical figures inside can be seen.

B C are the mechanical figures, which when the apparatus is in use are dressed inpugilistic attire and are pivoted atD so that they will rock on these pivots or lean forward into proximity with each other. The lower part of each figure isextended downward below the pivot D to form a lever J. One legE of each figure, which is separate from the other leg, is pivoted at D and is coupled to the body at (Z, but has aslot a, so as to freely allow the figure to be rocked on its pivot D, but does not itself take part in the rocking movement. The head of each figure is pivoted at F, so that when hit by the fist of the opposite figure it will be thrown back by the force of the blow, but subsequently right itself before the next competition is commenced, as hereinafter described.

G represents handles or levers pivoted at one end at H\ and projecting at the other through the openings 9 in the exterior casing of the apparatus. These levers G rest on arms I, thatprojectlaterally from the levers J. K represents springs which pressing against the levers J tend to keep the figures upright and cause them, together with the levers G, to move back to their normal positions when the pressure that operated them is removed.

One armof each figure is the striking-arm, and the other arm is the guard-arm. The former is composed of a pair of strips or links NO and the forearm L. The link 0 is pivoted at the shoulder at P and at the elbow to the forearm at p. The secondary link N is pivoted at or about the shoulder and to the fore-.

arm in such a manner as to hold said forearm at an angle relative to the links, but to bring it into approximate line therewith when the links are raised into a horizontal position. The link N is slotted at n, so as to allow the forearm to give, a little or deflect upward when it strikes the guard-arm M of the opponent figure. The striking-arm of each figure is operated by means of the rod R, coupled at one end to the pivot S on the link 0- and at the other fastened to a fixed point Tom the leg E, so that as the figure rocks forward the pivot-pin S will be pulled downward, thus raising the part of the arm above the elbow and bringing the forearm into line therewith. A spring U causes the forearm to return to its original position after being parried or forced upward by the opposing figures guardalrm M. The fixed point T is adjustable in a s t 6.

M represents the guard-arms, which are made without joint at the elbow. These are each operated by the handle or lever X, pivoted at one end at 2 and projecting at the other through openings or in the exterior casing of the apparatus.

V is a coupling-rod one end of which is coupled to the pivot W on the guard-arm and the other end coupled to the handle or lever X at Y, so that the pushing down of this handle will raise the guard-arm. Springs Z cause the parts to resume their normal positions when the pressure that operated them is removed. It will be seen, therefore, that the handle or lever X when depressed raises the guard-arm to ward off the blow from the opposing pugilist, and lever G causes the figure to rock forward and at the same time straighten out the fighting-arm to deliver a blow on the opponents face.

3 is a rod coupled at 4 to the hinged head and at the other end coupled at 5 to the yoke 6. This yoke, which rests in a center guide 7 and is provided with a center pivot 8, which works in the slot 9 of said guide, has a triangular piece cut out of the center, so as to form a hiatus through which passes at right angles an arm 15, pivoted at one end at 16, so that it can swivel laterally on said pivot if permitted by the yoke to do so. It is kept normally in the central position by the opposite edges 17 of the hiatus. This arm at the other end is formed with wings 40, 41, 42, 43, and 44, hereinafter described, which are adapted to guide the coin either into one or other of the lock-up boxes 19 through the chutes 36 or 37 or down one of. the chutes 38 or 39 into one or other of the pockets 20 at the outside of the apparatus, according to the position the arm 15 may happen to be in at the time.

10 is a spring with downward pressure which tends to hold the yoke 6 down on the base of the machine.

11 represents two coin-slots in the front of the apparatus; 12, a coin tipping or discharge piece pivoted at 13, which tilts down into an oblique position when the apparatus is not in use, but which when a coin 14 is forcibly pressed through either slot 11 is brought into the horizontal and its ends rest upon a shoulder 21 at the end of the arm 15. It may be explained here that this tippingpiece is in the nature of a lever with a short rounded arm or heel back of the pivot or fulcrum 13 and that when the piece falls to its normal or inclined position (seen in dotted lines in Fig. 4) this heel is lifted, so that on inserting a coin it is pressed down by the coin and the tipping-piece thus brought up to a substantially horizontal position. When the lever 15 is in its normal position, its end will take under and support the tipping-piece. Immediately, however, the head of the eiiigy is thrown back by the blow the rod 3 raises one end of the yoke 6 and one opposing edge of the hiatus 17 pushes aside the arm 15, thus removing the support which kept the cointipper 12 horizontal and causing it to fall down by gravity and enable the coins to drop one into one or other of the pockets 20 and the other coin into one or other of lock-up boxes. Now if one of the figures is so manipulated as to strike the other in the face without the guard-arm parrying the attack the head of the struck figure will be thrown back by the force of the blow. This through the coupling-rod 3 lifts the yoke 6 at one end, and so shifts the arm 15 to one side. This, besides admitting of the piece 12 tipping its coins, also brings, say. the wings 40 and 42 in such a position relative to the chute 39,which leads to one of the pockets 20, as to insure the coin falling thereinto, and thus allowing the winner to get his coin back. Furthermore, the wings 42 and 43 cover the chute 38 and insure the other coin falling through chute 36 into the lock-up box. If the other eifigy is struck, the converse action takes place, wings 41 and 44 covering the chute 39 and guiding one coin into the chute 37,while wings 40 and 41 guide the other coin into the chute 38. The head does not fall back again into its normal position until the machine is again operated, when by the insertion of a coin the tipping-piece 12 is again raised, so that when its nose-piece 22 rises above the end 21 of the arm 15 the said arm will be moved back to its central position by the spring 10, which presses upon the yoke 6. The wing 40 is an extension of the arm 15 and is alined therewith. The wings 41 and 42 are parallel with the wing 40, one on each side thereof, and the wings 43 and 44 slope downward in adiagonal plane from the wings 41 and 42, respectively. All of the wings being in one with the arm 15, they move to one side or the other of the center when the said arm is moved by the yoke.

24 is a pair of arms pivoted at and provided with a spring 26. These arms have a coin-groove on their under faces, so that when the coins are inserted through the coin-slots 11 the coins are bound to raise these arms 24. Each arm is provided with a projecting linger 27, attached thereto with the diagonal edge on its forward side bearing against the horizontal bar 28, which latter is horizontal and at right angles to the arms 24. This bar is secured at each end on vertical supports 29, and is a spring so placed as to press this bar from the front of the machine against the diagonal edge of the linger 27. The handles or levers G and X have each a shoulder 23, which takes over an abutment 31 on each of the vertical supports 29, so that the levers G and X are locked, and thus neither of these arms 24 will be lifted, thus raising the lingers 27 out of the way of the bar 28, and the spring 30 instantly shifts the bar, and thus. liberates the abutments 31 from the-shoulders 23, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9,'thus enabling leversG and X to be operated. The insertion of one'coin, however, will not be sufficient to liberate either set of levers G and X, as in such case only one of the arms, 24 is lifted. thus removing one finger 27 only from proximity to the bar, the other finger 27 firmly holding the'bar 28 so that it cannot be moved.

33 is a hook attached from a slide 35.

34 represents U-shaped springs one arm of each of which is secured at 45 to the plate 49 and the other arm so disposed as to partly obstruct a coin-slot 11, being locked between the cover-plate 48 and the plate v49. Said arms abut against shoulders at the bottom of the slide 35. This prevents the machine from being operated by the fraudulent use of a strip of metal or other implement. When, however, coins are inserted through the slots 11, the'long arms of the springs 34 are raised, thus lifting the slide 35 with its hook 33, and the hook engages the horizontal bar 28 and absolutely prevents the bar from moving toward the rear to liberate the shoulders 23 until the coin has actually passed through the slot 11 onto the tilting-piece 12 clear of the long arms of the springs 34. The slide 35 then falls, and with it the liook33, thus enabling bar 28 to flyback against the piece 27.

The mode of action is as follows: To free the apparatus, a coin is pushed into each of the slots 11. The coins in their passage lift the hook 33 and allow it to fall again. They also raise the arms 24, thus liberating the rod 28 and lifting the tipping-piece into the horizontal position. A blade or strip of metal fraudulently inserted through the slots would not liberate the bar 28, because its insertion through either slot would lift the hook 33, thereby locking the bar 28, but would not adto and projecting mit of it descending again to unlock the bar- The actuating-coins must, in fact, pass wholly into the machine before the hook 33 will fall clear of the bar 28 and unlock it. Both pairs of levers or handles G and X can then be operated. The coins now rest'upon the tippingpiece 12 and each operator commences the pugilistic contest between the figures by operating the handles, the object of each operator being to attack his opponent figure and ward off the blows. The striking-arms are operated by the levers or handles G, and the blows are parried, by the guard-arms which when raised come into the path of the striking-a rm and deflect its forearm somewhat out of the direct line. So long as each opponent is enabled to thus parry the blows neither figure will be struck. Immediately, however, one figure succeeds in striking the' other the head of the struck figure will be thrown back, thus raising the yoke 6, which shifts the coinguide arm 15 toone side or the other. This liberates the tipping-piece 12, thus causing it to drop, and one coin falls through the chute into the lock-up box, while the other is delivered to one of the pockets, whence it'can be taken out by the successful operator, the head remaining thrown back, so as to indicate which figure received the blow. The head does not resume its normal position until coins are enabling the arm 15 to resume its central position again. Should both figures deliver a blow simultaneously, no effect willtake place, because in that case the yoke 6 is raised equally at each end, and the consequence is that the arm 15 remains in its central position and does not move either to one side or the other sufficiently to liberate the coin-tipping piece. The releasing of the coins instantly causes the levers 24 to fall down by the action I of their springs 26, and thus the inclined edges of the fingers 27 abut against the rod 28-and levers G and X, so that the apparatus cannotloe operated until two coins are inserted through the coin-slots 11. 46 represents stops which prevent the arms 24 from descending more than a given distance. These stops are on a vertical hanger which is attached to the framework 47.

I declare that what I claim is 1. A coin-freed apparatus, havinga pair of pugilistic efligies mounted on pivots so as to rock to and fro and each having its head hinged at the rear of the effigy, a rocking yoke, rods which couple the respective ends of said yoke to the heads of the eifigies whereby a backward movement of either-head rocks said yoke, an arm pivoted to move laterally and intersecting said yoke at right angles, whereby the rocking of the-yoke imparts a corresponding lateral movement to said arm, and a pivotally-mounted tipping-piece supported at its free end on said arm when the latter is in its normal position, the lateral movement of the arm in either direction displacing it from under the tipping-piece and allowing the latter to fall.

2. A coin-freed apparatus for playing a pugilistic game of skill, having a casing with a coin-slot, a pivotally-mounted tipping-piece within the casing at the coin-slot for supporting inserted coins, coin-receptacles, chutes in the casing which lead to said receptacles, and

shift it into its normal position with its abutments 31 locking the abutments 23 on the a laterally-movable pivoted arm provided with 3 guiding-wings which guide the coins delivered from the tipping-piece into certain of the coinreceptacles, the position of said arm and its wings serving to determine into which of the receptacles the coins will pass when delivered.

3. A coin-freed apparatus, having acasing provided with two coin-slots, a pivotallymounted, lever-like tipping-piece within the casing at said slots, said tipping-piece having a part or heel which is impinged upon by an inserted coin, said coin thus elevating said piece into a horizontal position, two pivoted arms 24 located above the tipping-piece and alined with the respective coin-slots, and in position to be raised by a coin inserted in the slot, the depressible operating-levers of the apparatus, swinging uprights 29 provided with abutments which take under some part of said levers and prevent their depression, a bar 28 connecting said uprights, a spring 30, which is disposed so as to press said bar and uprights inward and thus free the operatinglevers, and detent devices 27 carried by the arms 2 which prevent the displacement of the said bar and uprights by the spring until said arms are lifted.

4. A coin-freed apparatus, having a casing provided with two coin slots, a pivotallymounted, lever-like tipping-piece within the casing at said slots, said tipping-piece having a part or heel which is impinged upon by an inserted coin, said coin thus elevating said piece into a horizontal position, two pivoted arms 24 located above the tipping-piece and alined with the respective coin-slots, and in position to be raised by a coin inserted in the slot, the depressible operating-levers of the apparatus, swinging upright 29 provided with abutments which take under some part of said levers and prevent their depression, a bar 28 connecting said uprights, a spring 30, which is disposed so as to press said bar and uprights inward and thus free the ope 'atinglevers, detent devices 27, carried by the arms 24, which prevent the displacement of the said bar and uprights by the spring 30 until said arms are lifted, a vertically mo\"able hook adapted to be moved upward into engagement with the bar 28 and hold it against displacement, and springs 34L, adapted to yieldingly resist the upward movement of said hook, said springs obstructing the upper parts of the respective coin-slots and in position to be impinged upon and pressed upward by an inserted coin, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 3d day of December, 1902, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY WOOLFE.

Witnesses:

G. C. DYMOND, JOHN MoLAonLAN. 

